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This blog is written by Lauren, our Campus Ambassador at Binghamton University. She is studying Political Science and Business Management and will graduate in May 2014.

As second semester begins to start up, you may be starting on your internship or job search for the summer or next fall. Hopefully you have chosen a number of places at which you would like to work. The next step is to write your résumé for these positions. You might be thinking that you have only done a certain amount things in your life, so one résumé should be sufficient enough for all your applications. This is where the people who get hired separate from the pack. Tailoring your résumé to the job you’re applying for is key and will help you secure the internship or job of your dreams.

So at this point you might be thinking, “How can I change my résumé if I’ve only done x, y, and z?” It’s as simple as choosing that statement piece of jewelry to spice up your outfit. You may be wearing the same basic outfit, or in this case dealing with the same basic set of clubs, internships, and jobs, but you have to find a way to make it stand out for the new job or internship application.

For instance, let’s say you are the president of your sorority or fraternity. This is an unchangeable fact. What you can change, however, is how you present this information on a résumé. Applying for a communications job? Discuss how you communicate with your organization members and emphasize your ability to relay information effectively. Applying for a legal position? Discuss how being president entails you to understand all the rules that your national organization has created and how you enforce them. Applying for a marketing job? Discuss how you’ve led campaigns to make your name more known on campus. Applying at a non-for-profit organization? Discuss the philanthropy campaigns that you have led, coordinated, or participated in.

This approach of tweaking position descriptions and highlighting what is most relevant to the job at hand applies to anything you’ve done in your life. It is all about looking at the job descriptions and remembering what aspects of your past or present jobs, internships, and clubs relate most directly to what the company is looking for in a new hire or intern. Even though rewriting your résumé may seem annoying, redundant, and time consuming, different companies will hopefully recognize your efforts to tailor your résumé to what they are looking for and you will land the internship or job of your dreams!

This blog was written by Hilary, our campus ambassador at Columbia College in Chicago. She recently transitioned from Communications intern to Special Events intern at The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois.

Having trouble filling your free time? Here are a few ideas of how to get involved that come with some great perks!

Help out your professors. These people know what they’re doing, that’s why you pay your tuition dollars to them. Take the time to see if you could help them out in their office. This shows great initiative and gives you a chance to learn more about them and possibly who they know!

Reach out to non-profits. Non-profits are great, even if they’re not what you’re interested in long term. They always have work to be done whether its in-office or at a 5K or event they are hosting. This is a great chance to get experience you may not have had at your internship or learn about in class.

Join local organizations that fit to your interest or major. This is a biggie. Going out and getting involved on campus or in your city’s organizations that nature to your interests, career aspirations, etc. says a lot. It will look outstanding on your resume and could lead to great networking opportunities.

This blog was written by Nina, our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador at Erasmus University in The Netherlands! Nina has traveled all over the globe!

I spent most of November and December applying to universities in the United Kingdom for my masters. It was definitely one of the most stressful things I’ve ever had to do because applying for masters has become so competitive and universities really focus on filtering applications to find the top students. When applying for internships, cover letters are often the most important thing and it’s the same for your masters: you really need to write a great application letter. I never had the top grades, but I had a CV that stood out – I started applying for internships in my first year of my bachelors and I made sure that I did as many as I could. Filling my application letter with the experience gained during my internships was probably a game-changer for majority of the admissions board that reviewed my application letter.

Many universities in the United Kingdom require a CV and state that a CV will only make your application stronger. Students like myself that have trouble regurgitating crammed knowledge in the exam hall need to make up for it with internships because it shows dedication, motivation and extensive time management skills. Some of us are just more practical than theoretical, there’s nothing wrong with that but you need to show the admissions board that you’re not just lazy. Most universities will ask you to write about where you see yourself in five years and how this specific course will help you when starting your career. If you have internships, you can back up virtually anything you write and your application letter will only be better. I know from personal experience that without a masters degree, especially in Europe, you won’t be getting far. Internships won’t only help you getting a job later on, but they’ll definitely help you be the candidate that universities are looking for when applications start piling up in the admissions office.

This blog was written by Steph, our Intern Queen Campus Ambassador from Drexel University.

Tell me about yourself. It’s the first question your employer will ask during your internship interview, but has always been one of the hardest for me to answer. What do they want to know? After almost 20 interviews in the past two years, here’s what I’ve learned about how to get past the first interview question and impress your employer:

• Don’t forget the basics: Make sure to include your major, year and past internships in the first 2 sentences. Even though they have your resume in front of them, it’s still good to highlight the credentials you have right up front.
• Keep the jargon to a minimum: Instead of telling your employer that you’re hard working, dedicated and detail oriented, give them a specific example of a time when you were dedicated to a group project or previous intern assignment. For example, if you increased your media lists by 15% due to research you initiated, highlight that upfront in your speech. It will have the employer asking more and eliminates the “dedicated, hard working” jargon.
• End with a personal touch: While the “tell me about yourself” question is asked in a formal interview setting, it’s also a great way to include something personal about yourself. If you like to run 5ks or follow fashion blogs, let them know!

This blog is written by Melinda, our campus ambassador from Miami University!

Preparing for the newest semester, quarter, or trimester is one of the hardest things to do after taking a much needed break—especially after the holiday season. But it’s definitely necessary to set yourself up for success!

For those of us who are going back to school at the end of January, here’s the lowdown on how to prepare.

Check out those syllabi: Your upcoming professors are going to start emailing you about their classes you’re enrolled in, and the documents that go with them. My advice? Don’t ignore them! This is a great way to reach out the professors if you have any questions or concerns and avoid an awkward first day. Also, you’ll be able to check out what you’re getting yourself into for the semester, and even start on some assignments if you’re feeling ambitious.

Strategically buy the textbooks you need: After reading the syllabus for every class, you’ll be able to see which textbooks you really need to buy (or which ones you don’t). By weeding out what’s necessary and what may not be, you can spend your money and time strategically. Planning your textbook purchases early also gives you more time to research for the best deal. Compare prices from bookstores, Amazon, EBay, and, of course, the Intern Queen textbook rental!

Plan out your first week: One of the best ways to be prepared for the new school period is to have a plan. Try to memorize your class schedule and know where you’re going, then make plans for the between times. Schedule time to catch up with friends, do campus activities, work, study, and take time for yourself. Your first week may not end up as your permanent weekly schedule, but it’s a start in the right direction.

Follow these tips—adding in a few tweaks of your own—and you’ll be off to a great start!